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New York City will be the focus of intense marketing efforts this week, with a back-to-back combination of the International Restaurant & Food Service Show, followed by our Grand Tasting that wraps up the current NY Drinks NY phase.
Taste NY Craft Beverage Showcase at the Show, starting this weekend, will highlight different craft beverages--wine, beer, spirits, and cider--in conjunction with other New York agricultural products. Jenn Cooper of our office organized the Showcase in conjunction with our colleagues at Taste NY and Urban Expo. The event is made possible by a grant from Empire State Development initiated by Governor Andrew Cuomo at the third Wine, Beer, Spirits & Cider Summit in October 2015.
NY Drinks NY, our program focused on increasing the presence of New York wines in New York City, concludes Phase V on Tuesday with a Grand Tasting at the Altman Building in lower Manhattan. The tasting includes a few dozen New York wineries offering their finest to hundreds of media and trade representatives in the afternoon, followed by consumers in the evening. The program has been enormously successful, and has been made possible by a series of grants from the Genesee Valley Regional Market Authority with support from the New York State Department of Agriculture & Markets. We have applied for a Phase VI grant, and have our fingers crossed.
I get back from the Big Apple on Wednesday, then head right to Germany on Thursday for the massive Prowein wine trade show in Dusseldorf.
Susan Spence of our office manages our export program, which has been very helpful in finding potential new markets for New York wines. Prowein is the world's largest wine trade show, attracting people from around the world, and always provides a humbling reminder of how much wine is produced around the globe. Our Uncork New York booth is in the same area as our colleagues from California, Oregon, and Washington, creating a synergistic American presence. We have a great team of winery representatives helping us staff the booth and spread the word.
In recent years, sales of New York wines in Europe have increased significantly, thanks primarily to New York Wines Sarl of Luxemburg. This is a small importing company created by Christian Claessens in conjunction with a few Finger Lakes wineries, who now have "feet on the street" in the European markets. Christian will be there with us, working the booth and making new contacts. And we will have the pleasure of presenting the Ron Reals Distributor Award to him.
NOTE: There will probably not be a Wine Press next weekend due to my involvement with Prowein.
E-Trade in wine and other beverage alcohol products is the focus of a new Task Force convened by Chairman Vincent Bradley of the New York State Liquor Authority at the direction of Governor Cuomo.
Our society and industry have clearly entered a new era of rapid change and internet dominance. In the past, people talked about the "three-tier system"--suppliers, wholesalers, and retailers (forgetting all about consumers who drive it all)--but that model now needs to be amended. If we add consumers as another tier, there's still one more in between: the internet. The explosive growth in DtC (Direct-to-Consumer) wine sales confirms that the internet, plus third-party providers like Amazon.com, are clearly here to stay and grow.
So...how should they be regulated in ways that don't stifle innovation and consumer choice? This is just one of many questions the group will be exploring over the next couple months, and I am honored to be part of it, along with my colleague Steve Bate from the Long Island Wine Council.
We're also grateful to Chairman Bradley and Special Counsel Tom Donohue for attending this week's B.E.V. NY conference to give the industry an update on New York laws and regulations. They're great partners.
Grape Discovery Center in Western New York will host an afternoon of Wine and Maple on March 12, showcasing local specialty wines as well as maple infused wines and treats. (How about some Maple Mandarin Mesquite BBQ Sauce?!). All maple products sold in the Center's gift shop will be discounted 20% for the day. www.grapediscoverycenter.com.
The timing is great. A week ago there was a major article in the New York Times about how things are looking really good for the New York State maple industry due to this year's mild winter. In addition, the industry has been growing steadily, and new technology is helping to increase production (over 546,000 gallons in four of the past five years).
New York is America's #2 maple producer after Vermont, and I am a huge and enthusiastic consumer of that lusciously sweet syrup. The folks who come to New York Farm Day in Washington also love it.
Congratulations and best wishes to our maple colleagues.
Bob Lenz, owner of the Asa Ransom House in Clarence (near Buffalo) received our Restaurant Award many years ago, and he continues to be a great and active supporter of New York wines. Not only does his popular inn and restaurant have a nice selection, but he is constantly urging his colleagues with other establishments to do the same. He called me this week because he thought he had been dropped from the Wine Press list (there just wasn't an edition last weekend), and gave me the emails of colleagues he wants to get it. Now that is truly loyalty, and we thank him sincerely. www.asaransom.com.
Ron Reals was a very special guy, and many of us will be toasting his life at a special celebration on Friday, March 18 from 6 to 9 pm at Ventosa Vineyards near Geneva (www.ventosavineyards.com). At the Unity Banquet on Thursday, I presented the Ron Reals Distributor Award to his wife Shari, whose family joined her, and appropriately there was a standing ovation in Ron's honor.
Ron was a great drummer, among many other things, and there will be live music from 4 Real, a Ron Reals tribute band, as well as a silent auction and raffle. 100% of the proceeds will benefit Shari and her four children.
Hope to see you there.
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